The invention relates generally to a portable electronic device and more specifically to the personalization of the electronic device through the visual display of an illumination pattern and the ability to use illumination patterns as content.
With the growth of portable devices, such as wired or wireless devices, such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or any other suitable device for providing electronic user interaction, there is a concurrent growth to provide for the personalization of these portable devices. For example, in cellular telephone technology, while there exists a trend for improved power consumption, improved communication capabilities and other electronic features, there is also a growing trend to allow a user to personalize his or her particular phone.
One common approach to personalization of a portable device is providing interchangeable covers, or faceplates. For example, the Nokia 8290 cellular phone available from Nokia, Inc., provides the user the ability to place different faceplates having different colors or patterns on the phone. Thereupon, the user may personalize his or her cellular phone based on the chosen faceplate. Other physical distinctions are also available, such as the Motorola V.66 cellular phone available from Motorola, Inc., which allows for interchangeable face clips on the top portion of the flip-phone.
Another common approach to personalization are ring tones audibly displayed by the phone to notify an incoming signal, such as a incoming call, a voicemail message or any other type of notification. Current trends for portable devices include abilities to interact with messaging systems, such as a Short Messaging System (SMS), an Extended Messaging System (EMS), and a Multi-media Messaging System (MMS). Currently, many portable devices provide the user with an internal library of available ring tones. The user may selectively associate specific ring tones with specific incoming signals to provide differentiation. Moreover, a user may associate a specific ring tone with a particular caller identifier. Furthermore, there exists the commercial opportunity for the user to purchase selective ring tones from commercial internet-based websites, wherein the ring tones may then be seamlessly downloaded to the phone for the user's enjoyment. Also, some portable devices also provide for a composer, allowing a user to compose a personalized ring tone consisting of selected tones.
An emerging area of personalization in portables devices is the selective illumination of an illumination region, such as one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), a backlight, a light channel as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,906, or any other suitable illumination display as recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art, visible on the surface of the portable device. For example, the Samsung R210 available from Samsung, Inc. provides for a single LED disposed on the front surface, wherein the single LED illuminates the single color red to signify an incoming signal, such as an incoming call. Another example is the Motorola C300 cellular phone, available from Motorola, Inc., which provides for an illuminating keypad that lights up in a single color when the phone is activated. Yet another example are commercially available Nokia compliant faceplates that have multiple LEDs that flash in a non-sequential manner. Furthermore, there also exists antennas having one or more LEDs disposed within or on top of the antenna for providing illumination in response to the transmission of information using the antenna.
As such, regarding selective illumination of portable devices, there currently exists either random LED illuminations disposed about the portable device, timed LED(s) that activate in a single color and at a set pattern in response to an incoming or outgoing signal, or the general illumination of region of the portable device in a predefined color.